Stainless steel-zirconium alloy waste forms
An electrometallurgical treatment process has been developed by Argonne National Laboratory to convert various types of spent nuclear fuels into stable storage forms and waste forms for repository disposal. The first application of this process will be to treat spent fuel alloys from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II. Three distinct product streams emanate from the electrorefining process: (1) refined uranium; (2) fission products and actinides extracted from the electrolyte salt that are processed into a mineral waste form; and (3) metallic wastes left behind at the completion of the electrorefining step. The third product stream (i.e., the metal waste stream) is the subject of this paper. The metal waste stream contains components of the chopped spent fuel that are unaffected by the electrorefining process because of their electrochemically ``noble`` nature; this includes the cladding hulls, noble metal fission products (NMFP), and, in specific cases, zirconium from metal fuel alloys. The selected method for the consolidation and stabilization of the metal waste stream is melting and casting into a uniform, corrosion-resistant alloy. The waste form casting process will be carried out in a controlled-atmosphere furnace at high temperatures with a molten salt flux. Spent fuels with both stainless steel and Zircaloy cladding are being evaluated for treatment; thus, stainless steel-rich and Zircaloy-rich waste forms are being developed. Although the primary disposition option for the actinides is the mineral waste form, the concept of incorporating the TRU-bearing product into the metal waste form has enough potential to warrant investigation.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 257376
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CMT/CP-88661; CONF-960804-41; ON: DE96012711; TRN: 96:016984
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SPECTRUM `96: international conference on nuclear and hazardous waste management, Seattle, WA (United States), 18-23 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
WASTE FORMS
CASTING
PHASE STUDIES
STAINLESS STEELS
ZIRCALOY
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
SPENT FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
ELECTROMETALLURGY
EBR-2 REACTOR
CORROSION RESISTANCE
MICROSTRUCTURE
POROSITY
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
RUTHENIUM ADDITIONS
PALLADIUM ADDITIONS
MOLYBDENUM ADDITIONS
SILVER ADDITIONS
RHENIUM ADDITIONS
TECHNETIUM ADDITIONS
URANIUM
PLUTONIUM
NEPTUNIUM
INDUCTION FURNACES